Corn harvester



May 30, 1933.

H. C. CHRSTANCE CORN HARVESTER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Feb- 9, 1931 INVENTOR.

9, C", @15M/ar www) r BY l MW ATTORNEYS.

' May 30, 1933. H. c. cHRlsVTlANcE: 1,911,491

CORN HARVESTER Original Filed Feb. 9, 1931 2 Sheecs-Sheeil 2 INVEN TOR.

56 e, @6M/lama@ y /gf ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 30, 1933 l A 4UNITED STATES?.

their13N-T oFFlcE HARRY c. cHRIsTINcE, or COMPTON, ILLINOIS coRN HARVESTER Appncation med February 9, 1931,`seria1 No. 514,664. 1 Renewed January A2o, 193s.

This invention relates to harvesters and more particularly to a corn` harvester by means of which ears of corn may be gathered from the cornstallrs.

One objectof the invention is to provide a harvester of this character adapted to be mounted at one side of a wagon andpitched at a-forward incline whereby as the wagon is driven across a iield of growing corn ears may be snapped from the cornstallrs'for de'- livery into the wagon.

Another object of the invention' is to provide a corn harvester having a special arrangement of snapping rollers and also special means for-.feeding the cornstalks between the snapping rollers longitudinally thereof as the harvester is moved acrossl a field.

another object of the invention is to provide improved means for rotatably mounting 2o the feedersby means of which vcornstallrs are moved longitudinally `between the snapping rollers and also improvedmeans for impartrotary motion to the feeding. elements and causing the same to turn in properftimed r relation to each other.

The improved corn harvester is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure l is a top plan view of the improv-ed harvesting mechanism with shields for'the 30 means for moving the cornstalls between the snapping rollers removed. y

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the harvester with a shield shown in section. l

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure l is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the iinger wheels mounted by means of which cornstalks are moved longitudinally between the snapping' rollers, and i Figure 6 is edge view ofthe finger wheel shown in. Figure 5.

This improved corn harvester is tobeV 4:5 mounted at one side of a wagonzopen at its ltop so the ears of corn may beidelivered into the wagon and while it has been Vshown in ahorizontal' position in the drawings for convenience, it will be understood that the ground will be removed. It will alsobe understood that any suitable framework may be provided to carry the mould boards andE connect the harvester with a wagon and. in addition'that suitable means may be provided for ydelivering the ears of corn from the harvester 6e intothe wagon body.

These mould boards l may be formed of wood or any other material found suitable. The boards extend in parallel spacedrelation to each other and 4have their forward ends Vtapered as shown at@ in Figure 2 thereby providingra mouth between the forward ends of the mould boards which tapers rearwardly so that cornstallrs may be guided into proper position between the mould boards asthe wagon is driven across a field. Hangerbr'ack- Y ets 3 extend downwardly from the inner side portion of the mould boards near the front and rear 'ends thereof and have their lower end portionformedwith side arms 4 which 75 project towardfeach other as clearly shown in Figures l and 4.- Thehanger brackets receive the stubfaxles atthe front and rear ends of the snapping rollers 5 thereby rotatably mounting theseyrollers between `the mould A boards but in a plane below the mould boards. The stub axle of one snapping roller is eX-v tended to form a vdrive shaft 6 carrying aV sprocket wheel 7 `about which is engaged a drive chain Sleading .from a suitable source of power'upon thef wagonto which theha-r'- vester is attached and interengaginggears or pinions 9 are carried bythe-rollers near their `rear ends so that rotary motionlmay be transmitted from one rollerto the other `and the rollers caused to rotate in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

Upon the mould boards are disposed plates 10 which extend longitudinally of the mould boards and are firmly secured thereto by bolts or other suitable fasteners 11. These plates are formeel with bearing sleeves 12 which project downwardly through openings 18 formed in the mould boards and through each bearing sleeve extends a hub la which is limited in its downward movement by a head 15 at its upper end. These heads have their upper portion enlarged to form bevelled gears or pinions 16 but it will be understood that the pinion may be formed separate from the head and suitably secured thereto. ends of the hubs which project from the bearing sleeve are reduced vand squared to form. necks 17 to engage similarlyV shaped openings 18 formed in linger wheelsV 19 and in order to release-bly secure the finger wheels -therehas been provided screws 2O which are screwed into threaded sockets formed in the hubs and have `their headsengaging retainer plates which contact with the under faces of the linger wheels. t should be noted vthat the plates y10 are so located upon the mould boards that the sleeves and hubs rotatably received thereby of one plate are disposed in staggered relation to the sleeves and the hubs of the other plate. 1 Therefore, the finger wheels of Vone mould board are disposed out of opposed relation to the finger wheels of the other mould board and as the hubs and linger wheels rotate the fingers of the Wheels carried by the two'niould'boar'ds will move through space between the mould boards in alternating relation to each other. This is clearly shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and l it will be seen that the finger wheels while disposed below kthe mould boards are located in a'plane above the snapping rollers so that the lingers 'of the wheel may engage cornstalks above the rollers and easily thrust the stalks rearwardly between therollers as the harvester is driven across a field,- longitudinally of the rows of corn. It will also be noted by an inspection of Figures 2 and 3 that finger wheels of each mould board are disposed out of a common plane so that they may overlap and turn freely without striking each other.'- k

A 4In order to transmit rotary motion to the hubs and linger wheels carried thereby there has been Yprovided shafts4 22 which extend longitudinally of the mould boards above vthe .same and are rotatably mounted in bearings rows in'Figure l1.' It will thus be seen that The lowerj while the finger wheels of one mould board will turn in an opposite direction to the linger sprocket chain 28. This sprocket chain is engaged about a sprocket wheel 29 carried by the drive shaft 6. Therefore, when thedrive shaft is rotated by means of the sprocket chain 8 rotary motion will be imparted to the shaft 22 as indicated by arrowsin Figure 1.

TWhen this improved corn harvester is in use it is mounted on one side of a farm wagon having an open body and the wagon is driven across a held of growing corn longitudinally of the rows. The corn stalks pass between the mould boards and are guided into proper position by the tapered forward ends'of the mould boards which engage the stalks at their lower ends. As the machine moves forwardly the corn stalks enter the space between the mould boards and are engaged by the fingers of the finger wheels. As previously eX- plained, the finger wheels are so located and their rotation so timed that the corn stalks are successively engaged by lingers moving through the space between the mould boards from the two boards. Therefore, the stalks will be moved rearwardly in a very effective manner and moved longitudinally between the rollers. The rollers rotate and when an ear of corn growing upon a Acornstalk is encountered by the rollers it will be snapped from the stalk. The ingers will also serve to move the ears of corn rearwardly to such a position that they may be conveyed upwardly and delivered into the wagon body. floods 30 aremounted upon the mould boards in covering relation to the shafts 22 and the gears and plates 10 so that the shaft and gears ill be shielded.

From'the foregoing description of the construction of my improved invention the operation thereof and the method of applying the same to use will be readily understood. It will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of the invention and white l have particularly described the elements best adapted Vto perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to7 without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is board disposed in staggeredl relation" to --the fingers. of thewheel carried by the other mould board, and means to rotate said rollers and wheels.

2. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other, snapping means between said mould boards, finger wheels rotatably mounted and having their fingers extending between the mould boards above the snapping means, the linger Wheel of one mould board being disposed in staggered relation to the finger wheel of the other mould board, and means to impart rotary motion to the finger wheels. l

3. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other, snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between the same and rotatably mounted in a plane beneath the mould board, finger wheels rotatably mounted beneath said mould boards vand having their fingers extending between the mould boards above the snapping rollers, the finger wheels of one mould board being disposed in staggered relation to the finger wheels of the other mould board, and means to impart rotary motion to the snapping rollers and finger wheels.

Ll. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other, snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between the same and rotatably mounted, linger wheels rotatably mounted and having their fingers extending between the mould boards above the snapping rollers, the finger wheels of one mould board being disposed in staggered relation to the finger wheels of the other mould board, and the wheels of each set each having its finger extending in staggered relation to fingers of adjoining wheels of the set and moving through the space between the mould boards in alternating relation to lingers of the-wheels carried by the other mould board, and means to impart rotary motion to the snapping rollers and finger wheels. y

' 5. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other, snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between the same in a plane below the boards, mounting plates upon the-upper faces of said mould boards, sleeves extending from said plates through said mould boards, hubs rotatably jmounted infsaid sleeves and projecting from upper and lower ends thereof, Vfinger wheels fixed upon the lower endsof' said hubs beneath said mould boardsto turn-with the hubs, the fingers of said wheels project` ingV to move through space between the mould boards above said rollersV whenthe hubs are rotated, and means to imparty rotary motion to the rollers and hubs;

` G. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transverse-y ly from each other, snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between. the same in aplane below" the'boards, mountingfplates upon the `upper faces of said mould boards,;` sleeves extending from said plates through said mould boards, hubs rotatably mounted inv saidisle'eves and pro- `pass in overlapping relation to'each other when the hubs are rotated, and means to impart rotary motion to theV rollers and hubs. m5

7. In a corn harvester,pi`cling mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other,snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between th'e saine in a plane below the boards, mounting plates upon the upper faces o-f said mould boards, sleeves extending from 'jecting `from upper andlower ends thereof,w finger wheels fixed upon `the lower endsv of said plates through lsaid mould boards, rhubs i Arotatablymounted insaidsleeves and projecting from upper andlower ends thereof, finger wheels fixed upon the lower endsv of saidhubs beneath said mould' boards-4to turn with the hubs, the fingers of said wheels projecting to move through space between the mould boards above said rollers when the hubs. are rotated, the hubs carried 4by onev plate being disposed inl staggered relation mould `board maymove through the space between the mould boardsV in alternating relationto fingers of the wheels below the other `to the hubs carried bythe'other plate' where'-Y bythe fingers of the wheels beneath one (lll mould board and means to impart rotary motion tothe rollers and hubs'. A y i i S. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism compris'in mould boards spaced transverse lly froineach other, snapping' rollers extending longitudinally of saidmould boards b etween the saine in aA planebelow" the board mounting plates upon the upper faces of said mould boards,isleeves Vextending from said ger wheels fixedv uponthelower ends of'said 50p hubs beneath said mouldboards to turn with mouldboard, axles yfor said rollers mounted the hubs, the lingers of said wheels projecting to move through space between the mould boards above said rollers when the hubs are rotated, heads at the upper ends of said hubs limiting' downward movement of the hubs through the sleeves and provided lwith pinions, shafts extending longitudinally of said mould boards above said plates and rotatably mounted, gears carried by said shafts and meshing with said pinions, and means to impart rotary vmotion to the rollers and shafts. f

9.k Ina corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transversely from each other, snapping rollers ,extendinglongitudinally of said mould boards between the same in a pla-ne below the boards, mounting plates upon the upper faces of said mould boards, sleeves extending from said plates through said mould boards, hubs rotatably mounted in said sleeves and projecting from-upper and lower ends thereof, finger wheels fixed upon the lower ends of said hubs beneath said mould boards to turn with the hubs, the fingers of said wheels projecting to move through space between the mould boardsabove said rollers when the hubs are rotated, heads at the upper ends of said hubs limiting downward movement of the hubs through the sleeves and provided with pinions, shafts extending longitudinally of said .mould boards above said plates, bearing for said shafts extending upwardly from said plates, bevelled gears fixed upon said shafts and meshing with said pinions, a drive shaft, means fortransmitting rotary motion from in the last mentioned bearings, kone axle being extended to form a drive` shaft, `means for transmitting rotary, motion from one roller to the other, means-for transmitting rotary motion from said drive shaft to one of the hub actuating shafts, and means for transmitting rotary motion from said hub actuating shaft to the other. Y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

- HARRY C. CHRISTIANCE.

said drive shaftto one of the hub actuating shafts, and means for transmitting rotary motion from said hubl actuating shaft to the other.

10. In a corn harvester, picking mechanism comprising mould boards spaced transverse- [ly from each other, snapping rollers extending longitudinally of said mould boards between the same ina plane below the boards, .mounting plates upon the upper faces of said mould boards, sleeves extending from said plates through said mould boards, hubs rotatably mounted insaid'slee'ves and projecting from upper and lower ends thereof, finger wheels fixed upon the lower ends of said hubs beneath said mould boards to turn with the hubs, the fingers of said wheels projeeting to move through space between the mould boards above said rollers when the hubs are rotated, heads at the upperv ends of said hubs limiting downward movement of Y the hubs through the sleeves and provided with pinions, shafts extending longitudinally of said mould boards-above ksaid plates, bearing for said shafts extending upwardly from said plates, bevelled gears fixed upon said shafts and meshing with Vsaid pinions, bearings extending downwardly from said 

